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Background: Since 1990, the maternal mortality significantly decreased at global scale as well as the North Africa and Middle East. However, estimates for mortality and morbidity by cause and age at national scale in this region are not available. Methods: This study is part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD) 2019. Here we report maternal mortality and morbidity by age and cause across 21 countries in the region from 1990 to 2019. Results: Between 1990 and 2019, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) dropped from 148.8 (129.6--171.2) to 94.3 (73.4--121.1) per 100 000 live births in North Africa and Middle East. In 1990, MMR ranged from 6.0 (5.3--6.8) in Kuwait to 502.9 (375.2--655.3) per 100 000 live births in Afghanistan. Respective figures for 2019 were 5.1 (4.0--6.4) in Kuwait to 269.9 (195.8--368.6) in Afghanistan. Percentages of deaths under 25 years was 26.0% in 1990 and 23.8% in 2019. Maternal hemorrhage, indirect maternal deaths, and other maternal disorders rank 1st to 3rd in the entire region. Ultimately, there was an evident decrease in MMR along with increase in socio-demographic index from 1990 to 2019 in all countries in the region and an evident convergence across nations. Conclusion: MMR has significantly declined in the region since 1990 and only five countries (Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Morocco, and Algeria) out of 21 nations didn't achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2019. Despite the convergence in trends, there are still disparities across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Three billion people burn nonclean fuels for household purposes. Limited evidence suggests a link between household fuel use and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the relationship between indoor burning of biomass, kerosene, and natural gas with the subsequent risk of GI cancers. METHODS: During the period 2004–2008, a total of 50,045 Iranian individuals 40–75 years of age were recruited to this prospective population-based cohort. Upon enrollment, validated data were collected on demographics, lifestyle, and exposures, including detailed data on lifetime household use of different fuels and stoves. The participants were followed through August 2018 with <1% loss. RESULTS: During the follow-up, 962 participants developed GI cancers. In comparison with using predominantly gas in the recent 20-y period, using predominantly biomass was associated with higher risks of esophageal [hazard ratio (HR): 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 3.50], and gastric HR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.31) cancers, whereas using predominantly kerosene was associated with higher risk of esophageal cancer (HR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.10). Lifetime duration of biomass burning for both cooking and house heating (exclusive biomass usage) using heating-stoves without chimney was associated with higher risk of GI cancers combined (10-y HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.21), esophageal (10-y HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.30), gastric (10-y HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.23), and colon (10-y HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.54) cancers. The risks of GI cancers combined, esophageal cancer, and gastric cancer were lower when biomass was burned using chimney-equipped heating-stoves (strata difference 푝-values = 0:001, 0.003, and 0.094, respectively). Duration of exclusive kerosene burning using heating-stoves without chimney was associated with higher risk of GI cancers combined (10-y HR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.11), and esophageal cancer (10-y HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.26). DISCUSSION: Household burning of biomass or kerosene, especially without a chimney, was associated with higher risk of some digestive cancers. Using chimney-equipped stoves and replacing these fuels with natural gas may be useful interventions to reduce the burden of GI cancers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High blood pressure is the second most important risk factor of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Iran. It is imperative to estimate the burden of CVDs that can be averted if high blood pressure is controlled at the population level. The aim of the current study was to estimate the avertable CVD mortality in the setting of Golestan Cohort Study (GCS). Methods: Over 50,000 participants were recruited and followed for a median of 7 years. The exposures of interest in this study were non-optimal systolic blood pressure (SBP) and hypertension measured at baseline. Deaths by cause have been precisely recorded. The Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of deaths and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) due to CVDs attributable to exposures of interest were calculated. Results: Overall, 223 deaths due to ischemic heart disease (IHD), 207 deaths due to cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), and 460 deaths due to all CVDs could be averted if the SBP of all subjects in the study were optimal. Similarly, 5,560 YLLs due to IHD, 4,771 YLLs due to CVA, and 11,135 YLLs due to CVDs could be prevented if SBP were optimal. In all age groups, the avertable deaths and YLLs were higher due to IHD compared with CVA. Deaths and YLLs attributable to non-optimal SBP in women were less than men Conclusions: A very large proportion of CVD deaths can be averted if blood pressure is controlled in Iran. Effective interventions in primary and secondary health care setting are mandatory to be implemented as early as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Using the findings of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), we report the burden of primary headache disorders in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) from 1990 to 2016. Methods: We modelled headache disorders using DisMod-MR 2.1 Bayesian meta-regression tool to ensure consistency between prevalence, incidence, and remission. Years lived with disability (YLDs) were calculated by multiplying prevalence and disability weight (DW) of migraine and tension-type headache (TTH). We assumed primary headache disorders as non-fatal, so their YLD is equal to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Results: Migraine and TTH were the second and twentieth leading causes of YLDs in EMR. Between 1990 and 2016, the absolute YLD numbers of migraine and TTH increased from 2.3 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 1.5–3.2) to 4.7 million (95%UI: 3–6.5) and from 383 thousand (95%UI: 240–562) to 816 thousand (95%UI: 516–1221), respectively. During the same period, age-standardised YLD rates of migraine and TTH in EMR increased by 0.7% and 2.5%, respectively, in comparison to a small decrease in the global rates (0.2% decrease in migraine and TTH). The bulk of burden due to headache occurred in the 30–49 year age group, with a peak at ages 35–44 years. The age-standardised YLD rates of both headache disorders were higher in women with female to male ratio of 1.69 for migraine and 1.38 for TTH. All countries of the EMR except for Somalia and Djibouti had higher age-standardised YLD rates for migraine and TTH in compare to the global rates. Libya and Saudi Arabia had the highest increase in age-standardised YLD rates of migraine and TTH, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that primary headache disorders are a major and a growing cause of disability in EMR. Since 1990, burden of primary headache disorders has constantly been higher in EMR compared to rest of the world, which indicates that health systems in EMR must focus further on developing and implementing preventive and management strategies to control headache. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent evidence suggests overall diet quality, as assessed by dietary scores, may play a role in the development of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers. However, the existing dietary scores are derived from high-income countries with different dietary habits than regions with the highest burden of UGI cancers, where limited data is available. This study aimed to investigate the association between overall diet quality and risk of esophageal and stomach cancers in a high-risk region for UGI cancers. Methods: We recruited 50 045 individuals aged 40-75 between 2004-2008 from northeastern Iran and followed them annually through July 2020. Data on demographics, diet, and various exposures were collected using validated questionnaires. Diet quality was assessed by calculating the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and World Cancer Research Fund--American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF-AICR) scores. Results: During an average 12 years of follow-up, 359 participants developed esophageal cancer and 358 developed stomach cancer. After adjustments, each standard deviation increase in baseline dietary scores was associated with up to 12% reduction in esophageal cancer risk and up to 17% reduction in stomach cancer risk. Esophageal cancer showed stronger inverse associations with adherence to AMED (HRQ4-vs-Q1 = 0.69 (0.49-0.98), P-trend = 0.038). Stomach cancer showed stronger inverse correlation with WCRF-AICR (HRQ4-vs-Q1 = 0.58 (0.41-0.83), P-trend = 0.004), and DASH (HRC4-vs-C1 = 0.72 (0.54-0.96), P-trend = 0.041). These associations were comparable across different population subgroups. We did not observe significant associations between HEI and AHEI scores and UGI cancers in this population. Conclusion: Despite the differences in consuming individual food groups, adherence to the available dietary recommendations (derived from high-income countries) was associated with lower risk for subsequent esophageal and gastric cancers in this high-risk population. Educating the public to have a healthy eating pattern might be an effective strategy towards prevention of UGI cancers in high-risk regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Population health and disease profiles are diverse across Iran's neighboring countries. Borrowing the results of the country-level Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study (GBD 2010), we aim to compare Iran with 19 countries in terms of an important set of population health and disease metrics. These countries include those neighboring Iran and a few other countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Methods: We show the pattern of health transition across the comparator countries from 1990 through 2010. We use classic GBD metrics measured for the year 2010 to indicate the rank of Iran among these nations. The metrics include disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost as a result of premature death (YLLs), years of life lost due to disability (YLDs), health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE), and age-standardized death rate (ASD). Results: Considerable and uniform transition from communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMMN) conditions to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was seen between 1990 and 2010. On average, ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, and road injuries were the three principal causes of YLLs, while low back pain and major depressive disorders were the top causes of YLDs in these countries. Iran ranked 13th in HALE and 12th in ASD. The function of Iran's health care, measured by DALYs, was somewhat in the middle of the HALE spectrum for the comparator countries. This intermediate position becomes rather highlighted when Afghanistan, as outlier, is taken out of the comparison. Conclusion: Effective policies to reduce NCDs need to be formulated and implemented through an integrated health care system. Our comparison shows that Iran can learn from the experience of a number of these countries to devise and execute the required strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited data on the natural history of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and on the long-term follow-up of AIH patients who have been referred for regular medical attention. Objectives: We evaluated the clinical presentation and natural history of AIH in a large cohort of type I AIH patients from Iran. Patients and Methods: Between 1997 and 2008, 102 patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were diagnosed using the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group criteria and were followed up for an average of 60 months. Clinical and biochemical data were gathered from all the patients at both the beginning and the end of the follow-up period. Liver biopsy was performed in all patients before treatment, and the biopsies were performed in 28 patients after treatment. Results: Biochemical remission was achieved by 80 (79.4%) patients. Of these, 53 (66.5%) showed near-normal liver histology or liver function test results and sonogram. The remaining 27 (33.5%) patients also achieved clinical and biochemical remission, but developed compensated cirrhosis. After a period of remission, 24 patients (32.5%) relapsed. Among the 22 (21.6%) patients who showed ultimate treatment failure, 6 underwent orthotopic liver transplantation and 3 died of liver failure while awaiting a transplant. Sixteen (72.7%) of the 22 patients who did not respond to therapy were non-compliant with medications and had irregular follow-up. The overall 10-year survival rate in the cohort was 96%. Conclusions: Long-term survival in AIH patients is very good. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate first-line and salvage therapy that includes close follow-up will make liver transplantation a rare necessity in the treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dietary protein comes from foods with greatly different compositions that may not relate equally with mortality risk. Few cohort studies from non-Western countries have examined the association between various dietary protein sources and cause-specific mortality. Therefore, the associations between dietary protein sources and all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality were evaluated in the Golestan Cohort Study in Iran.Methods: Among 42,403 men and women who completed a dietary questionnaire at baseline, 3,291 deaths were documented during 11 years of follow up (2004-2015). Cox proportional hazards models estimated age-adjusted and multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for all-cause and disease-specific mortality in relation to dietary protein sources. Data were analyzed from 2015 to 2016.Results: Comparing the highest versus the lowest quartile, egg consumption was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk (HR=0.88, 95% CI=0.79, 0.97, ptrend=0.03). In multivariate analysis, the highest versus the lowest quartile of fish consumption was associated with reduced risk of total cancer (HR=0.79, 95% CI=0.64, 0.98, ptrend=0.03) and gastrointestinal cancer (HR=0.75, 95% CI=0.56, 1.00, ptrend=0.02) mortality. The highest versus the lowest quintile of legume consumption was associated with reduced total cancer (HR=0.72, 95% CI=0.58, 0.89, ptrend=0.004), gastrointestinal cancer (HR=0.76, 95% CI=0.58, 1.01, ptrend=0.05), and other cancer (HR=0.66, 95% CI=0.47, 0.93, ptrend=0.04) mortality. Significant associations between total red meat and poultry intake and all-cause, cardiovascular disease, or cancer mortality rate were not observed among all participants.Conclusions: These findings support an association of higher fish and legume consumption with lower cancer mortality, and higher egg consumption with lower all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, injuries are a major public health concern and make a considerable contribution to the disease burden. The present study is a component of the National and Subnational Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors from 1990 to 2013 (NASBOD) study in Iran, which was designed to investigate the burden of most important injuries (road traffic injuries, falls, burns, poisonings and drownings) at the national and sub-national levels in Iran. In this paper we explain definitions, organization, injuries selection process, data sources, data gathering methods, and data analyses of the national and sub-national burden of injuries study in Iran. METHODS: The burden of most important injuries in current metric of DALYs at the national and sub-national levels in Iran over 1990-2013 will be estimated through comprehensive reviews of either published or national data sources. Statistical modeling will be used to impute the missing data on the burden of selected important injuries for each district-year. CONCLUSION: The results of present study can help health policy makers to plan more comprehensive and cost-effective strategies at national and sub-national level for prevention and control of burden caused by injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Estimating burden of disease, injuries and risk factors is crucial for health policy decision making. The Burden of Diseases (BoD) studies provide data about the magnitude and distribution of health problems among the population at national and sub-national levels. The BoD studies are designed to use secondary data for estimating prevalence and incidence of diseases, injuries and risk factors. However, due to the scarcity of data sometimes it becomes unavoidable to collect data from medical records. Among all needed source of data, including surveys, registries, censuses, inpatient and outpatient data, hospital data are an essential source for BoD studies. Hospital Data Survey (HDS) aims to estimate the prevalence and incidence of diseases and injuries that led to admission to hospitals. This paper aims to describe the required steps for data gathering, sampling, analytical methods, and other needed procedures for HDS.STUDY DESIGN: The designed questionnaire includes demographic data, current health status, diseases, injuries and co-morbidities with their ICD10 codes, curative procedures, and treatment. A pilot study was conducted on 302 medical records from 6 hospitals to evaluate the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. Sampling frame was designed and probability proportional was used after being tested in the pilot study. In the next step, we will collect 367500 medical files from 863 hospitals (0.5% of all inpatient records in hospitals from1996 - 2013). The HDS is the first national study in Iran that is gathering data through an online-offline web-based system based on electronic version of the questionnaire which makes the process of data cleaning and analyses more comfortable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]